Impact of the Management Development Programme (MDP) on Primary Healthcare Manager Competencies and Organisational Performance in the Western Cape, South Africa
1
University of Witwatersrand, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, Health Economics and Epidedemiology Research Office, Johannesburg, South Africa
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):A1743
ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT:
Primary healthcare (PHC) managers are central to South Africa’s health system, yet many assume leadership roles without formal management training. This study evaluated the impact of the Aurum Institute’s Management Development Programme (MDP) on leadership competencies, readiness for change, and workplace stress among PHC managers in the Western Cape Province. A non-randomised matched cluster trial was conducted between January and June 2025 across 20 PHC facilities, comparing MDP-trained facility managers with matched controls. Data were collected from 20 facility managers and 105 clinic staff using the Leadership Practices Inventory, Kotter’s Change Management Framework, and selected items from the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire. Leadership practices were assessed through manager self-ratings and staff ratings, with constructs derived using Principal Component Analysis and analyses conducted in Stata 15 using risk differences (RD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Manager self-assessments showed no statistically significant differences across LPI domains, including Modelling the Way (26.45 [2.8] vs 26.58 [3.3] control), Enabling Others to Act (27.0 [1.8] vs 27.50 [3.2] control), Challenging the Process (24.2 [2.1] vs 25.75 [3.9] control), Inspiring a Shared Vision (24.6 [3.2] vs 24.3 [6.3] control), and Encouraging the Heart (24.8 [3.6] vs 24.9 [3.9] control). In contrast, clinic staff rated MDP-trained managers significantly higher for Modelling the Way (adjusted RD 61, 95% CI: 22–100) and Inspiring a Shared Vision (adjusted RD 50, 95% CI: 16–84), and reported stronger relational support for change readiness (adjusted RR 1.41, 95% CI: 0.92–2.16). High job demand stress was reported in both arms (63.6% vs 66.7% control); intervention managers reported higher job control-related stress (54.5% vs 44.4% control) and lower co-worker support stress (81.8% vs 90.9% control), with no statistically significant differences. Overall, while short-term effects on self-rated leadership were limited, staff perceptions indicate early improvements in visible leadership and organisational readiness for change.
Primary healthcare (PHC) managers are central to South Africa’s health system, yet many assume leadership roles without formal management training. This study evaluated the impact of the Aurum Institute’s Management Development Programme (MDP) on leadership competencies, readiness for change, and workplace stress among PHC managers in the Western Cape Province. A non-randomised matched cluster trial was conducted between January and June 2025 across 20 PHC facilities, comparing MDP-trained facility managers with matched controls. Data were collected from 20 facility managers and 105 clinic staff using the Leadership Practices Inventory, Kotter’s Change Management Framework, and selected items from the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire. Leadership practices were assessed through manager self-ratings and staff ratings, with constructs derived using Principal Component Analysis and analyses conducted in Stata 15 using risk differences (RD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Manager self-assessments showed no statistically significant differences across LPI domains, including Modelling the Way (26.45 [2.8] vs 26.58 [3.3] control), Enabling Others to Act (27.0 [1.8] vs 27.50 [3.2] control), Challenging the Process (24.2 [2.1] vs 25.75 [3.9] control), Inspiring a Shared Vision (24.6 [3.2] vs 24.3 [6.3] control), and Encouraging the Heart (24.8 [3.6] vs 24.9 [3.9] control). In contrast, clinic staff rated MDP-trained managers significantly higher for Modelling the Way (adjusted RD 61, 95% CI: 22–100) and Inspiring a Shared Vision (adjusted RD 50, 95% CI: 16–84), and reported stronger relational support for change readiness (adjusted RR 1.41, 95% CI: 0.92–2.16). High job demand stress was reported in both arms (63.6% vs 66.7% control); intervention managers reported higher job control-related stress (54.5% vs 44.4% control) and lower co-worker support stress (81.8% vs 90.9% control), with no statistically significant differences. Overall, while short-term effects on self-rated leadership were limited, staff perceptions indicate early improvements in visible leadership and organisational readiness for change.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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